The 3 Best MCT Oil for 2020

Choosing the right MCT Oil for you

MCT oils are everywhere at the moment, but it can hard to see which is the best. In this short guide, we show what we believe to be the best MCT oils of this year and how they all compare.

Here’s what you need to know:

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Performance Lab MCT“Performance Lab MCT uses only medium-chain triglycerides C8/C10 from coconuts which are 100% organic. This helps brainpower, brain health, fasted performance, keto and fat loss.”Best Overall Runner-Up: Regular MCT Oil“Easier to come by and can cost less, but typically contains lots of C12 which more processed and less effective. It still has some levels of C8/C10 though. May be sourced from palm oil in some cases.”Best for Versatility:Coconut Oil“Has great flavor, and contains MCTs but the potency is far lower. Typically the C8/C10s are around 13% of coconut oil. May not have good shelf life.”

Best MCT Oil For Keto

Performance Lab MCT is in our opinion, the best option for a low carb ketogenic diet.

MCT oil works well for keto because of it’s ability to raise your body’s levels of ketones. When on a keto diet, your body runs low on glucose and switches to ketones as a fuel source – this applies to both your body and your brain.

The best MCTs to raise ketones are C8 and C10. They are fast to absorb and effective at raising ketones in both your body and your brain. These are the only MCTs in Performance Lab’s oil.

They can cross the brain-blood barrier and support the energy producing mitochondria in your brain cells which helps to maximize your cognition.

C8 and C10 in Performance Lab MCT can boost thhe number of these mitochondria in your brain cells, as well as make them more efficient – all while protecting them against free radicals.

This helps fight the brain fog which may be caused by a ketogenic diet as well as give you better appetite control and an excellent energy alternative to glucose. It’s ideal for a keto diet.

Best MCT Oil Brands

Performance Lab is the best MCT oil brand. All their products are completely stackable, which can help you create a combination of products which can maximize your results on keto.

Supplying 100% Daily Value of 17+ essential vitamins and minerals to a nature-identical standard, it’s great for topping up the B9 and B6 which are harder to get on keto.

It gives you the vitamins that you would primarily get from starchy foods, and as they’re grown to be nature-identical, your body has no problem absorbing them.

Finally Performance Lab Prebiotic can help give you a better gut on keto. They promote and optimize the healthy bacteria already in your digestive system to help improve your overall mineral absorption and fat usage.

It also supports the health of your microbiome for better regulated blood sugar levels.

There’s a ton of options with Performance Lab:

Stacking these supplements together with the MCT oil is one of the best ways to get the most out of a ketogenic diet. All the research has been done, the best nutrients have been sourced and dosed, all you do is take it and follow the diet for the best results.

Best Overall Runner-Up: Regular MCT Oils

Classic MCT oils are your next best option if you decide to pass on Performance Lab. The main difference between regular MCT oils and Performance Lab is that you’ll not get as much C8 and C10 as you would get with them.

So what will you get?

Most MCT oils are a combination of C6, C8, C10 and C12, that’s:

Caproic Acid (C6)

Caprylic Acid (C8)

Capric Acid (C10)

Lauric Acid (C12)

As we’ve mentioned, the main two that matter here are the C8 and C10. They’re easy for your body to use and convert into ketones to give you maximum benefit.

There is some benefit to C6, it can convert into ketones, but there are issues with it. The main problems often reported with C6 is that it tastes bad, and can even cause stomach upset.

If you’re getting some kind of a burning throat from your MCT or it has a strange flavor or smell – this could be the C6 in your MCT oil.

C12 is another one more commonly found in MCT oil, However, instead of converting quickly into what you need – it takes time to process in your liver. It functions more as a Long-Chain Triglyceride rather than a Medium-Chain Triglyceride.

This is why we prefer Performance Lab, you get all the benefits of the C8 and C10 found in most MCT oils – but without any of the unnecessary C6 and C12 that usually come with it.

MCT Oil VS MCT Powder

MCT Powder may be easier to take on the go in comparison to MCT Oil – but there’s a big difference.

To get the MCT oil into powder form, manufacturers may have to make changes to the product which could affect the overall result.

The main problem is that carrier powder they use may contain ingredients which spike your insulin. If you’re on a keto diet look out for maltodextrin and glucose – these will raise your insulin levels and ruin your ketosis.

Also check if they’re using artificial sweetener. If they are they could again risk your ketosis – or your health.

Finally, check to make sure they’re disclosing which MCTs they’re using, look for those heavy in C8 and C10.

MCT oil is far to superior to MCT powder for these reasons. They’re much more straight forward, the carrier powder poses too much risk.

MCT Oil VS Performance Lab MCT

Better for Keto: Performance Lab. Unlike regular MCT oils, PLab is all C8 and C10 MCTs. Whereas regular oils also have C6 and C12 which aren’t as effective. C8 and C10 are the best for ketogenic options and easier to convert into ketones.

Best Purity: Performance Lab by a mile. 100% non-GMO, with an organic-ceritified coconut source. Performance Lab is also triple distilled for purity.

Most Sustainable: Performance Lab. It’s made from coconuts, not palm oil. Palm oil products are causing havoc in the rain-forests, and will eventually be stopped.

Produced in the USA: Performance Lab is made in FDA approved facilities to cGMP (Current Goods Manufacturing Process) standards, unlike some of the MCTs currently on the market.

Where to buy MCT oil?

There are plenty of stores both online and offline which sell regular MCT oil. MCT Oil is available from Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and various other vendors.

One thing to worry about with off-the-shelf MCT oils is that they may be genetically modified, use trans fats or even sourced from cheap palm oil.

You should always investigate to see if the manufacturer states how the product is made before coming to any decisions.

Best for Versatility: Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil has it’s place when it comes to providing MCTs, it just shouldn’t be your top choice. Although there are numerous benefits associated with coconut oil when it comes to your skin, hair, flavor for cooking and more – it might not be the best as a dietary aid compared to an MCT.

As we’ve mentioned, two of the main MCTs you need are C8 and C10.

Coconut oil contains numerous strains such as C6, C12 and C14. They’re not the best options that you’re looking for – and they take up room of more valuable MCTs. The average overall potency of MCTs in coconut oil is 55% – whereas any MCT oil is technically 100%.

There’s too much going in coconut oil for you to get the best bang for your buck. It’s not all C8 and C10 like you would get in Performance Lab.

Another problem is that the flavor of coconut oil – although pleasant – can dominate whatever you add it to.

Performance Lab MCT and other MCT oils (that don’t have C6) are typically flavorless and can be added to any food or drink without tainting the dish.

Coconut oil is versatile. When it comes to health it can jump in to help you when you need it – even as an MCT oil. That doesn’t mean it’s a great option – it just means it’s good in a pinch when there are no other options left.

Best MCT Oils: Our Summary

As you can see, there are some clear indicators that Performance Lab MCT is the best MCT oil on the market at the moment.

Being made up of just C8 and C10, and having the ability to stack in synergy with any of the other products in the Performance Lab range, it’s an ideal candidate for any ketogenic diet or whatever other needs you may be requiring of an MCT.

Regular MCT oils risk including MCTs you may necessarily not need, such as C6 and C12. Whereas coconut oil is even further removed, diluting the C8 and C10 even more with C6, C12 and C14 – and it’s not even 100% MCTs.